


The Sovereign: Prelude to a Ruler

by TheCrackedKatana



Series: Tales of the Sovereign [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emperor Hux, Enforcer Kylo Ren, Eventual Romance, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-23 06:40:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6108268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCrackedKatana/pseuds/TheCrackedKatana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the day of his coronation swiftly approaching, General Hux had begun to succumb the pressures of stress and formality.  Enforcer Kylo Ren has a cure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Your Services Are Not Required

**Author's Note:**

> Man, I just love Emperor!Hux! And Enforcer!Kylo. This ship sank its teeth into me in a very unexpected fashion and I just can't seem to stop writing these two. Also, I am ALL about some courtly bullshit. YEP.

Blissful, blessed silence. An space devoid of people and the need for absurd displays of professional and political mannerisms. Hux stepped into the hallway of the ceremonial stage and leaned against the wall with a sigh. Never had the sound of his own voice tired him in such a manner.

Delivering speeches to his droves of men had always been an invigorating activity, but there was something far less satisfying about pandering to the egos of alleged "diplomats." For most of his life, the prospect of becoming Emperor of the galaxy was an unattainable goal, an absurd daydream of sorts.

Until now. 

The vulgar display of wealth and excess was a vile spectacle to the militant General. While Hux fancied himself a man of refined tastes and pleasures, there was most certainly a line to be drawn for such things. 

Preparing for the role of "Emperor" should have been an exhilarating affair, a surge of power and competency, a raw display of absolute control. But weeks of political grooming and strategy combined with lack of sleep and his typical militant obsessive tendencies had left the General exhausted, in desperate need of a moment to himself just to simply breathe.

Breathing. Yes, well. There was another matter entirely.

With his impending coronation mere days away, the seemingly endless speeches and meetings had finally taken their toll on his physical as well as mental health. His throat had grown raw, a constant, dull throb plagued his head. And the overabundance of moonlilies certainly did not help matters. 

The General was used to the sterile coldness of space, the sleek interior of the Finalizer having served as his home for many years. The grandeur of his current accommodations was staggering, if not a bit overwhelming.

He pinched the bridge of his nose between a gloved thumb and forefinger, squeezing his eyes shut. The ridiculous amount of flora had set his eyes to watering. Reaching into the inner pocket of his coat, he groped for his ever-present handkerchief, a fine tremor of shock widening his eyes when his fingers met with empty space. Had he actually forgotten the thing?

 _Oh, by all the stars in the galaxy . . ._

He leaned against the wall with a sigh, shoulders slumping just a touch.

"So. There you are."

Hux's eyes sprang open. 

"Ren," he said, drawing himself into his typical militantly rigid posture, shoulders snapping to attention. "Whatever are you doing out here?"

"Following orders," Ren said. The Enforcer affected a lean against the nearest tapestry, arms crossed over his chest. "Or have you forgotten that I am to accompany you?"

 _Blast._ He had, indeed, forgotten.

"I have no need of your services," Hux said with a dismissive wave of one hand.

Ren shrugged a shoulder. "My 'services' are not optional."

Hux grunted, fixing the other man with his best rendition of a cross glare, which didn't quite translate through the watery haze of his eyes.

"What is it."

"Nothing," Hux muttered, still pinching the bridge of his nose.

Something nudged his elbow and he glanced over the top of his gloved hand with a narrowed gaze. Between Ren's fingers was a handkerchief, folded in a haphazard excuse for a square, but clean and crisp just the same.

For a moment, he considered informing the other man that he hadn't the need for such things, that he was fine on his own, but even without Ren's mind-reading abilities, such a blatant lie would be painfully obvious.

" . . . thank you," he said stiffly, accepted the half-folded cloth with far more gratitude than he meant to display. He dabbed at the corner of his eye and sniffled. Just once. "Blasted floral horror."

Ren glanced over his shoulder at the vases that lined the staircase. "Do you not find it beautiful?"

"An impractical distraction," Hux said curtly.

The corner of Ren's mouth curved into a smirk. "Right."

Hux grumbled a curse beneath his breath.

"If you're done here, perhaps I should escort you back to your quarters, General."

Hux arched an eyebrow. 

_What in the blazes . . ._

"I am capable of escorting myself," he growled.

"I would love nothing more than to let you stalk out of my sight, but should you get yourself inconveniently assassinated, Leader Snoke would be most displeased with me," Ren said.

Ah, so that was it, then. Not that Hux hadn't known of Leader Snoke's wishes. While each man was valuable on his own, together they were an integral part of something greater. It wouldn't do to find replacements for either, no matter how much the both of them sometimes wished for the other's demise. 

Although, he could not deny that despite Ren's surly attitude and half-tattered clothing, he cleaned up quite well in suitable attire. The tunic beneath his coat wrapped high upon his throat, edged in brilliant red and pressed to perfection. The coat itself was plain, but the heavily brocaded belt that he wore atop it to cinch it closed was a masterpiece of fine craftsmanship. A thin crimson cord completed the belt, tied in an intricate knot off to one side, the tassel of it dangling near his hip. And the way the blasted coat flowed away from Ren's hips as he walked, flashing the tops of his knee-high polished boots. Stars, the man was almost . . . handsome. Dashing.

Hux frowned. No, he would not so much as consider such things. The absurdity of it was almost laughable. 

"General."

Hux flicked his gaze to the taller man and sighed.

"Very well," he muttered. "Escort me for the cameras, then."

The barest hint of a smile curved one side of Ren's mouth and the great bastard had the nerve to offer his arm.

"Have you lost your mind?" Hux sneered.

The Enforcer invaded his space with a simple nudge of his shoulder, seeming to envelop the entire hall and tower over him.

"Do not test me," he growled.

"Oh, get a hold of yourself," Hux huffed. 

But he slipped his arm through Ren's own just the same, gloved hand resting atop Ren's wrist.

(TBC . . .)


	2. Take Your Hands Off Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The elevator ride to Hux's quarters proves to be an unnerving experience for the General.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I don't usually update this fast, but I suddenly have this odd thing called "spare time" and I am damn well going to make use of it. Also, I am not sorry for Hux. Not even a little.

There were entirely too many bodies crammed into the small space of the elevator. The atmosphere reeked of wealth, greed, and flawed morality. Ren had ushered him into the nearest corner, his broad-shouldered frame a barrier between Hux and the other patrons, the lightsaber at his side in full view of any would-be traitors. 

And the man was far too close for Hux's comfort, their bodies touching against their will, a necessary but uncomfortable thing for the fastidious General, who valued his own personal space more so than anything. 

Well, in a manner of speaking.

The warmth of Ren's body was not entirely unwelcome. Despite several layers of ridiculously expensive clothing, Hux had found himself chilled more than once during the evening. The host planet was warm and inviting during the day, but the nights were frigidly cold. He had, of course, ignored such things. If his body were going to insist on said-nonsense, he could very well choose not to acknowledge it.

Another, more pressing matter was at hand. Thanks to a stunning bouquet of fresh floral absurdity upon the stand in the elevator, the combination of close-quarters and allergic misery had culminated into a fine struggle for the already exhausted General, who had had just about enough of the entire evening's foolery. 

And of course, there was the fact that the elevator seemed to stop at every blasted floor, increasing the time spent confined to the four small walls.

_Damnable levitating cage._

Hux pressed a knuckled finger to the side of his nose with a flare of nostrils as the urge to sneeze stiffened his posture to a tense gathering of shoulders. It took far more control that he imagined possible to stifle the sounds into little more than a sharp inhalation, the flinch of his shoulders resolving into a shudder and a weary sigh.

Ren's hand slipped beneath his coat, broad fingers bracing his lower back and drawing him closer without so much a hint of appearance of actually having done so.

"Almost there," he murmured in Hux's ear.

A chill marched its way up his spine and down his arms at the dark intonation of Ren's voice couple with the warmth of his breath. How dare he intrude on Hux's space in this way, without any sort of permission to do so? Had they not had this discussion numerous times before?

Ren's stare was nowhere and everywhere at once, taking note of every feature, every minute detail of each person in their shared confinement, as if he were memorizing it. Militant. Observant. Almost impressive, Hux had to admit. Too often, Ren's face had been hidden behind his metal mask, the faceplate an inscrutable countenance that Hux confronted with disdain. But at Snoke's discretion, their relationship had changed, requiring Ren to leave the mask behind in order to present a notable presence to the masses. And judging by the lack of eye contact from the others in the elevator, such tactics appeared to be working.

Another chime. Another pause. The last of the elevator's patrons stepped out of the sliding durasteel doors, leaving him alone in the small space.

With Kylo Ren. 

Seeing as there was no one left to witness his nonsense, he clamped the handkerchief over his nose with a cringe, muffling another fit of short, sharp sneezes into the material.

" . . . excuse me," he mumbled, more so out of habit than actual care for what Ren might think.

Although the bastard was staring at him with an expression that vacillated between amused and some odd manner of obscure fondness. 

_What in the blazes . . . ._

"What is it, Ren?" Hux growled through gritted teeth.

"I don't believe I've ever seen you sneeze before," Ren remarked. "I suppose you're human after all, then." 

Great galaxy, the man's voice was positively _dripping_ with amusement over his little "afflicition." Hux fisted a hand at his side. 

"Or perhaps," the Enforcer continued. "I am concerned for your well-being."

_Oh, yes. Surely that **must** be it. _

"Unnecessary," Hux countered.

"Maybe," Ren said. A gloved finger lifted to trace Hux's jaw and the General froze. "But you like the thought of it just the same."

A furious splash of color climbed its way to his cheeks and Hux stiffened. "That's absolute nonsense."

"Is it?" The hand that still splayed his back pulled him closer. 

Hux flattened his hands against Ren's chest as if to push him aside. "You've gone mad."

The tip of Ren's nose grazed his temple, nuzzling the soft hairs near his ear. "I needn't use my abilities to see what is in your mind. No one says such things to you, do they? And while you enjoy the fear of your men, the common courtesy of something such as that simple acknowledgment for your health pleases you even more."

_Why, the invasive, audacious, **brazen ----!!!**_

"Take your hands off me!" Hux snapped.

Ren backed him against the nearest wall, pressing his body to Hux's own, hands planting on either side of his head. "As you like."

Hux should have ducked out of the entrapment, he should have stepped aside and claimed the far reaches of the elevator as his own space, but his fingers fisted the lapels of Ren's coat, tugged him down until the other man's lips were scant increments from his own.

"Have you any idea how I loathe you," Hux growled.

Ren's mouth brushed the corner of his own. "Perhaps you should show me."

Lips captured his mouth with an ardent rumble of sound, a slow-building melding of mouths that commanded his every nerve to attention. Ren's touch was like the caress of fire, the flick of his tongue a burst of heat within his core. 

The slightest groan of pleasure ebbed from the General's lips and he could have sworn he felt the great bastard smile against his mouth.

But as quickly as the kiss began, it ceased to exist, Ren stepping away to a respectful distance, leaving him somehow dazed and shaken, mentally unkempt and disordered. 

And desperately wanting the other man to somehow organize the chaos within him once again.

Hux wiped at his mouth with the back of one hand, a gesture of disgust that didn't translate to the other man as he intended, judging by the indifference of his expression. 

"I could have you executed for this," Hux informed him.

The corner of Ren's mouth curved into a salacious smirk as the elevator chimed to an indicative stop. 

Hux managed a slow blink before coming to his senses, his gaze fixating upon Ren's now proffered arm.

"General."

"I've no need of an escort," he said. "My quarters are at the end of this hallway."

The Enforcer nodded to the high corner of the elevator. "They are watching you. And me as well."

"Oh, great Galactic Empire," Hux grunted. "Very well."

He laid a hand atop Ren's arm rather than entwining their limbs, allowing the other man to walk him to the short distance to his door. Hux halted, hand hovering about the gilded handle. Ren would most likely stand guard there for some time, giving him some degree of privacy until Hux commanded him to enter the room. Such was his assignment. His duty. The man would stand there all blasted night if he had to.

He flicked his stare to the dark-haired Enforcer with a tilt of his head. "Would you . . . care to come inside for a moment?"

"If it pleases you," Ren said. 

(TBC . . . )


	3. Shall I Make You Forget?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They shouldn't. But they do.

Even away from the treacherous flowers, Hux found his ability to breathe normally stymied by the nonsense in the elevator. He pressed the handkerchief--- _Ren's_ handkerchief---beneath his nose.

The man never so much as bothered with such things. Why had he suddenly taken to carrying one now?

In the darkness of the room, he felt a bit less inhibited and well, he was a good ten feet away from his Enforcer, who stood with strange obedience near the doorway.

"Close the door," Hux instructed, turning away as Ren moved to comply.

He shrugged the heavy coat from his shoulders and draped it atop the nearest chair, unable to contend with some of the more complex vestments any longer. The weight of it seemed too great, too much for his slight frame.

The buckles and buttons that adorned the jacket beneath the coat were a suddenly insurmountable tangle of frustration and the weary General leaned against the desk with a sigh that caught mid-exhale and morphed into another sneeze. Or three.

"Oh, great galaxy," he muttered. "I shall have to order the removal of every flower in this accursed building."

Ren was suddenly beside him without so much as a whisper of sound.

"What --" Hux started to say, but the other man's hands were traveling to the intricately wrapped ascot at his throat. Nimble, capable fingers made slow work of the knotting, stripping the silk from his throat and casting it aside. The belt as his waist followed, as did the gold cords that dangled from it. The buckles and buttons he could not contend with on his own were easily manipulated, the removal of his coat careful and methodical, slipping it from his shoulders and draping it atop the outer coat that still lay upon the chair.

"Sit," Ren instructed.

Far too tired to argue, Hux eased himself into the wing-backed chair closest to the fireplace. He ran a hand through his hair, noting with some dismay that it had begun to fall out of place.

"Whatever are you doing?" he asked as Ren knelt before him.

The other man said nothing, sliding a hand beneath the heel of his boot and tugging it free of his leg. And then the other.

Dark eyes peered up him through a fringe of black lashes, hands resting upon his calves, traveling the length of his thighs, until suddenly, Kylo Ren knelt between his legs. Against any hint of conscious thought, Hux carded ungloved fingers through the thickness of Ren's locks, the dark strands like brushed silk upon his skin.

The noble arrogance of Ren's profile was carved of shadow and alabaster, his hands an enormous counterpoint to Hux's slender thighs, his mouth a most sensuous and generous thing. Hux's hands lighted upon his shoulders and Ren glanced towards him once more, head angling to a slow, assessing tilt. 

"What is it." 

Not a question. Never a question with Ren.

"It is . . . it is just that . . ." Hux trailed the back of his hand down Ren's cheek. "You are so very striking." The hand dropped and the General sat back in his chair. "I despise you for it." 

A tremendous amount of dark knight invaded his space, half-climbed into his lap, asserted itself over every inch of his person. Gloved fingers clamped his shoulder and Ren nuzzled his jaw with a low, rumbling sort of growl.

"Do you." The heat of Ren's tongue dragged his bare neck. "What a pity." 

"I haven't the patience for your nonsense this evening," Hux muttered beneath a facade of breathless annoyance. 

Really, they should have stopped this "nonsense" ages ago. Nothing more than this could come of such things.

_Nothing could . . ._

A hand traveled the length of his torso, clamped itself upon his inner thigh. "I can see to it that you forget your fatigue."

The slightest hint of a shiver traversed his shoulders as Ren's hand inched further up his thigh. "You truly believe yourself to possess such a talent, do you?"

A knee slipped between his legs, gave the center of him a hard, thorough rub through the rich silk of his pants.

"You are already proving me to be correct."

Hux trailed a hand down the other man's side, hooking a finger through the tasseled rope that hung from his belt. "This clothing," he said, giving the belt a tug. "You wear too much of it. Remove it at once." 

Hands pushed his shoulders flat against the backing of the elaborate chair. " _You_ remove it." 

"Hmph," Hux huffed, as if terribly inconvenienced by the sentiment. He fisted a handful of Ren's lapel, jerking him down to face level and gripping his chin with a free hand. "What a helpless creature you are. Must I do everything myself?"

With a deft manipulation of fingers, Hux stripped his companion of both belt and rank-identifying cord, tossing both to the side as if they were a nuisance. Without the obi to cinch the jacket and tunic into place, the garments gaped open, revealing a swath of pale skin, a taunting peek of flesh that the soon-to-be Emperor could not resist exploring with a slow trail of his hand.

The broad expanse of Ren's chest was a solid wall of muscle, his torso cobbled with tactile definition that Hux did not need to glimpse in order to ascertain the nature of his companion's fitness. But he pushed the jacket away from Ren's shoulders just the same. 

The outer tunic followed, leaving only the thin inner tunic clinging to Ren's shoulders, hanging loose upon his body. Hux slid his hands beneath the flimsy material, prowled the expanse of Ren's lower back with his roving touch.

Dark eyes met his own, a thumb caressing the blade of his cheek.

"Shall I make you forget?" 

Ren's voice was a tangible silk that wrapped his senses with the promise of something far greater than mere words suggested.

"See to it that I remember nothing," Hux said.

 

(TBC . . ..)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fought with myself about this chapter for a while, but in the end, I left it like it was. Apparently, they've been doing this for a while, but SOMEBODY should have told the writer. Sheesh.


	4. As You Like

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren complies most thoroughly with the General's orders.

Hands planted upon the arms of the chair and the great beast of a man kissed the side of his mouth, nipped the curve of his collarbone, dragged his tongue down his sternum. The mass of him slid away from Hux's body as he knelt between Hux's thighs, making short work of his pants, casting them to the floor in an undignified heap.

Those generous lips curved into a pointed smirk just before Ren bent his head. A low, shivering groan ebbed from somewhere deep within Hux's chest as he gripped the arm of the chair with one hand, the other sliding into the dark silk of Ren's hair. The man's tongue was the fire of sin itself, massaging him with the most intimate exploration, trailing the shaft of him before drawing him deep into his mouth.

 _All_ of him. _Great galaxy . . ._

His hips arched, fingers tightening within the mass of hair, the hot suction of Ren's mouth surging his need to a burn. Heat tightened his being, drawing his entire body to taut, quivering attention, as if Ren were somehow commanding every spark of energy to the lower center of his body.

Short nails dug into the fabric of the chair and his breathing tripped into a vocal, labored pant. Stars, the great bastard wasn't so much as using a hand in conjunction with that talented tongue and already, Hux's entire body practically vibrated with the need for release.

A low hum of voracious pleasure rumbled in the depths of Ren's throat and Hux conceded defeat to Ren's mouth with a stark outcry that seemed to tear itself from his body in a ripping crescendo of sound.

The plaintive jerk of his hips had scarcely ceased before Ren gathered him into his embrace, pulling his naked body atop the now-unclothed expanse of Ren's own, sliding his tongue between Hux's lips with a probing, sensual tangle of mouths.

The hard length of his companion pressed into his hip and Hux wrapped a brazen hand around it with a squeezing stroke that tore a gasp from Ren's lips. Fingers twisted into the dark hair and Hux nuzzled his ear, his voice a breathy rasp.

"I demand that you plunge the entire length of yourself deep within my body _this instant,_ " Hux hissed.

Ren shifted beneath him, grinding against his backside, jostling his slender body atop his hips.

"Go on, then," Ren growled. "Impale yourself upon me. Sink your body to the hilt, General." Nails raked the front of his chest, scoring pink lines upon the pale flesh. "Or perhaps I should call you by a more proper title, hmm?"

"No," Hux panted. "Not until it is rightfully mine." 

"As you like," Ren said. Hands gripped Hux's thighs, eclipsing the fair skin. "Now, then. Enough talk." 

The acidic retort upon his tongue died a trembling death as Ren asserted himself in a far different manner, pushing the slick length of his arousal into Hux's body with a slow, near painful precision. Stars, where had the man acquired oil without Hux's notice? Had he been so caught up in the throes of it that he had failed to see such a thing? Perhaps his observation skills were -----

The First Order leader- turned -Emperor- candidate tipped his head back with a groan, thoughts skidding to an abrupt halt. Accommodating Kylo Ren in this way was an exercise in control, in tension and release, the slow stretch of skin a blissful torture.

A shudder traversed his spine as the last of Ren pushed itself deep within the confines of his body and skin met skin, the fair-haired man sitting astride the prone Enforcer, nails digging crescents into the flesh of his chest. 

Beneath him, Ren undulated his hips, arching his back from the floor enough to send a shock of pleasure through Hux's center. 

"I am no delicate maiden, Ren," the General growled. "Have me as you would any other being." 

"As you like," Ren rumbled. 

Hux's back met with the fine carpet that covered the marble floor as Ren reversed their positions with a simple push of one leg, the weight of Ren's body atop his own a sudden, almost suffocating force. The man dwarfed him, his shoulders nearly twice as broad, chest a pale expanse of carved, honed muscle, large hands planting on either side of his head before one slipped beneath him to span his lower back, lifting him from the floor in tandem with a well-timed thrust.

Hux's shuddering breath bled into a more vocal groan. Ah, yes. This? This would most certainly distract him.

He dragged his thumb over Ren's lower lip, smirking when the other man seized it between his teeth with a growl before cradling it with his tongue in a lewd fashion reminiscent of earlier acts. 

"Whatever shall we do when I am the ruler of this galaxy, hmm? We cannot have the new order believing that I trade favors for pleasure."

Teeth bit down hard upon his thumb and the weight of Ren's body dropped atop his own, pinning him to the floor.

" _Stop._ Talking." 

"Hmm," Hux mused. "Perhaps if you were doing your job as my personal distraction, I would not be so inclined to----" A sharp breath caught high in his throat as Ren drove into him, sank his teeth into Hux's shoulder in lieu of this thumb.

Uncouth. Dominating. Animalistic. Hux arched his back with a slow-spreading smile. Who would have thought that coupling with Kylo Ren could provide such a freeing experience?

Atop him, Ren's breathing became a labored, vocal pant, a faint tremor of muscle vibrating the length of his body. The fine china upon the table rattled in conjunction with the gathering tension of Ren's body, a nearby painting quivering against the wall.

Finger brushed the curve of Ren's jaw. "Yes," Hux murmured. "Go on then, Ren. Lose yourself within me." 

A hand slid into the hair at his temple and with a violent shift of consciousness, Ren's pleasure suddenly became his own. His core tightened with a rush of heat and his breathing bled into an outright cry. It was as if the other man were somehow ripping the release from his body, tearing it from somewhere deep within him and dragging it to the surface. 

Darkness edged his vision as he collapsed against the fine fibers of the rug, a panting mess of man, the scene before him fragmenting into a series of sensations that had no sequence or compliance. 

_Ren's fingers upon his forehead, pushing away the dampness of his hair. Plush, sinking softness beneath him. Heavy warmth draping his cooling skin. The barest brush of lips upon his own. A dark chime of sound within his ear, a command he cannot not ignore._

And the General slipped into the unconscious abyss.

_____________________


End file.
